Rivers characterized the likelihood of Allen being available for Sunday’s Game 1 matchup with Atlanta as “probable.”

“In football terms, isn’t that the word they use when it’s more than 50 percent that he’s going to play?” Rivers said. “So let’s put him at probable.”

Allen would come off the bench, Avery Bradley will remain the starter (and is one of the keys to the series for Boston). If he can return and provide a scoring punch off the bench it would be a big boost for Boston. But how much of an impact Allen could have after all that time off remains a question.

“He’s not played in quite a while,” Rivers said. “To go from zero to 100, which is what the playoffs are, is very difficult. But when you put Ray on the floor you still have to guard him. Having him on the floor gives us something; it gives us spacing.”